by FORT WORTH, Texas – A day after being named American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, IImar’I Thomas showed the league why, registering her fifth double-double of the season with 30 points and 12 rebounds to help lift Cincinnati (8-15) past Memphis (4-15), 78-67, in opening-round play at the AAC Championship on Monday at Dickies Arena.
The Bearcats, who won their fourth consecutive game, advance to play No. 2 seed UCF on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Thomas recorded her sixth 30-point game of the season, shooting 10 of 17 from the field and going a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line. In doing so, she becomes only the third player in school history to achieve at least 1,900 career points, sitting at 1,912 entering Tuesday’s quarterfinals contest.
But Thomas had plenty of help as well.
In all, four Bearcats scored in double figures. Milan Schimmel (Umatilla) tallied a career-high 15 points and matched a career-best with seven assists to go with seven rebounds. Arame Niang posted 14 points, seven rebounds and set career-highs with six assists and six blocks. Caitlyn Wilson reached double figures in scoring for the ninth time in the last 10 games, adding 11 points, three 3-pointers and three steals.
Dulcy Mendjiadeu Fankam led Memphis with 20 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Coriah Beck added 11 points.
Memphis led 19-13 after the first quarter before a pair of threes from Schimmel and a couple of baskets inside from Niang gave the Bearcats a 25-23 lead with 6:06 left in the second quarter. UC then began to seize control with an 8-2 run before halftime when Thomas made a basket and two free throws and Hayes and Niang hit back-to-back jumpers. The Bearcats led 37-30 at intermission.
The gap widened at the start of the third quarter when UC jumped out to a 47-32 advantage at the 6:47 mark thanks to a 10-2 run.
Memphis pulled within 69-63 with 1:26 left in the fourth quarter on a fastbreak layup by Beck. But the Bearcats made nine of 11 free throws inside the final minute to secure the victory.
UC scored 21 points off 17 Memphis miscues. The Bearcats committed 13 turnovers, their third fewest in a game this season. UC shot 45 percent or better from the floor for the fourth consecutive game, making 27 of 60 shot attempts.
